Electric switch device



@Mw y @m R. H. MONEY ELECTRIC SWITCH DEVICE Filed June 13, 1933 l Sept. 8, 1936.

Patented Sept. 8, 1936` PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH DEVICE Roland H. Money, Cincinnati. Ohio, assignor to The Crosley Radio Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 13, 1933, Serial No. 675,569

Claims.

My invention relates to switching means operable in connection with moving members, such as doors and the like, but I shall describe it in connection with refrigerator devices, it being un- 5 derstood, however, that my invention is not limited thereto, but is applicable to other constructions presenting the same or similar problems.

In the manufacture of electric refrigerators,

. the convenience of the housewife is subserved by providing a light within the refrigerator which operates automatically so as to be turned on and ofi' with the opening and closing of the door, or

doors, of the refrigerator. For this purpose a snap switch may be provided, connected into the l5 circuit of the light and arranged to be actuated by the door.

For manufacturing reasons it is not, however, convenient or economical to build such a switch into the refrigerator cabinet. It is greatly preferred to build it as a part of the mechanical unit with which the refrigerator is equipped. This not only facilitates mass production of such units, but also enables units to be used without change in cabinets of varying size, style, or design.

Building the switch, however, as a part of the mechanical unit construction has the disadvantage that its ultimate placement may vary with respect to the door of the cabinet, and also that cabinets even of the same style and design may 80 vary slightly as to the interfitting of their parts,

and more specifically that the doors even of similar cabinets may not always close to exactly the same point. The sealing strip of the refrigerator may be thicker on some cabinets than on others,

or it may become thinner with wear, to the extent of permitting the door to close further, Hence, for these and for other reasons, it is not very practicable to have the door directly actuate the switch, but so far as I am aware there have not hitherto been any proposals to solve these problems.

It is an object of my invention to provide a switch construction which can be made as a part of the mechanical unit construction of the refrigerator, together with means to be engaged by the door for actuating the switch. It is another object of my invention to provide actuating means which are resilient in construction, and which therefore take care of the variations in the operation of the door, which may occur as between different cabinets, or in any given cabinet under varying conditions of age or use. It is another object of my invention to provide a means for causing the door to actuate the switch, which means make it unnecessary for the door directly (Cl. 20D-54) to contact the switch, and also make it unnecessary to provide on the door a pad, or other device,

to protect the finish or surface of the door, or any adjustment device to make sure that the door will satisfactorily operate the switch. It is also 5 an object cf my invention to provide actuating means which are resilient enough to protect the finish and surface of the door. Broader aspects of my invention have to do with the provision of a switch and controlling means, the switch being 10 arranged for actuation by a moving member, and

a control means being such as to compensate for sporadic discrepancies in the action of the moving member, and in the attainment of these broader aspects of my invention my construction l5 is not limited to switches for refrigerators.

These and other objects of my invention which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that certain construc- 20 tion and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe the aforesaid exemplary embodiment. Reference is had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side view of my switch and associated mechanism, with parts in section.v 25

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the evaporator and face plate of an exemplary refrigerator showing my switch and associated mechanism mounted thereon in a convenient position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the switch actuating 30 mechanism which I employ.

In the practice of my invention, I provide a snap switch or other suitable switch for the purpose, together with means for mounting it in a position near the door, or other moving member 35 which is to actuate the switch. I then provide an actuating means in the nature of a resilient member interposed between the switch and the door or moving means. Preferably this member will be resilient, and preferably also it will be de- 40 tachable, for certain purposes hereinafter to be set forth. Preferably also it will be hinged so that it can be moved out of the way for access to the switch.

In the drawing I have indicated at i a member 45 to which the evaporator of the refrigerator is mounted. This member may be a stationary or removable part of the refrigerator cabinet, or it may be such other supporting means as desired. An evaporator, indicated generally at 2, is mount- 50 ed to this supporting means, and it may have a face plate indicated at 3 perforated to permit the insertion of the usual trays in the evaporator. I have shown a means indicated generally at 4 for the control of the action of the refrigerator unit, Il

such means usually comprising both a switch for the compressor motor and a means for varying the action ot an automatic temperature maintaining means.

The switch for the light is indicted at 5. This switch may be of any desired type. I have shown a plunger type switch having a plunger 6, but any of the other usual so-called momentary switches may be employed. The particular switch shown by me is mounted to a face plate by means of nuts 8, and this plate in turn is mounted to the front panel member 3 by means of bolts 9 and I0. The switch may, if desired, be provided with a housing II held by the same bolts, and the Wires to the switch will enter this housing in the usual way. I have shown in dotted lines at I2 a portion of the door of the refrigerator in closed position, and it will be seen that, due to the way in which I have mounted my switch, this door does not approach the plunger 6 close enough to actuate it directly.

Next I provide an actuating member indicated generally at I3. In the preferred and simplest form of my invention this is a strip of resilient metal having a base portion I4, and a portion at one end which is bent over as at I5 to form a hinge and suspending member. The other end of the operating device is bent over reversely as at I6 to form a portion interspaced from the portion I4, and resiliently connected thereto. This operating member is suspended from a bracket indicated generally at I1, which bracket is formed from a substantially T-shaped piece of metal, the base of the T being turned over as at I8 to form a portion for the engagement of the member I 5 of the operating device. The portion I8 is slotted as shown at I9 in Fig. 3 for the reception of the end of the operating device. I also prefer to bend up the two arms of the member I1 as shown at 20 to provide side guides for my operating device.

It will now be clear that the member I3, interposed between the door I2 and the plunger 6,

. permits the actuation of this plunger when the door is closed. By reason of the hinging of the member I3 it can move with the door, as shown, when engaged thereby, and by moving to the right in Fig. 1 as the door closes, it depresses the plunger 6 suiliciently to actuate the switch. It is resilient, and thereby it compensates for changes in the relationship of the door and the switch, which may occur due to the use of diierent cabinets, or due to variations in the construction of similar cabinets, or changes in the operation of the parts of any given cabinet throughout a period of use. The parts of the operating device are also bendable to make adjustments therein; and I preferably bend over the end of the member I3 as `shown at 2| in a rounded formation `so that no sharp corner will be presented to the door even if a considerable distortion of the member I3 is made for the sake of adjustment.

My operating device I3 is also removable from the bracket member I l, which is an added safeguard in the shipment of refrigerators. Moreover, if the lamp is removed from its socket, and the member I3 unhooked and taken out of the refrigerator, the automatic operation of the light may be discontinued without unnecessary continued operation of the switch. It will be understood, of course, that there is provided for the lamp a suitable socket, not shown, located in a desired portion of the refrigerator and connected by suitable leads to the power line and to the switch 5.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Havingr thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

l. In a switching mechanism, the combination of a switch, moving means for actuating said switch, a xed member, and a resilient member having a hook for removable hinged mounting upon said xed member and interposed between said switch and said moving means, said resilient member adapted to have anarcute movement about said hinged mounting upon actuation by said moving means.

2. In a switching mechanism, the combination of a switch, moving means for actuating said switch, a xed member, and a member having a hook for removable hinged mounting upon said iixed member, said member when so mounted, lying between said switch and said moving means for transmitting the motion thereof to said switch, said member by virtue of its mounting being completely removable when the operation of said switch upon movement of said moving means is not desired.

3. In combination with a switch and a door, a bracket, a U-shaped member pivotally mounted from said bracket and having interspaced arms resiliently connected together, said member being interposed between said door and said switch to cause said door to actuate said switch when said door is moved into and out of closed position, said pivotal mounting comprising a hook whereby said member is removable from said bracket.

4. An actuator member for interposition between a switch and a movable member to transmit motion from said movable member to said switch, comprising a xed member, and a substantially U shaped member of resilient material and having a hook, whereby it is independently hinged upon said fixed member, and readily removable therefrom.

5. An actuator member for interposition between a switch and a movable member to transmit motion from said movable member to said switch, said switch being provided with a bracket, comprising a substantially U shaped member of resilient material having a hook portion formed upon one arm of said U, said hook portion adapted to act as a hinge when hooked on said brack-l et, said U shaped member being readily unhookable from said bracket.

ROLAND H. MONEY. 

